Dispensing package



April 26, 1966 E. J. JENSEN DISPENSING PACKAGE Filed June 15, 1964 FIG. 4

INVENTOR.

FIG. 1

EDWARD J.JENSEN FIG. 3

AT'FORN 9,5

United States Patent 3,247,995 DISPENSING PACKAGE Edward J. Jensen, San Francisco, Calif., assignor to This case relates generally to a dispensing package and more particularly to the combination of a container, a

' dispensing fitment, and a plug-type stopper.

Dispensing packages utilizing plug-type stoppers have had widespread use for the dispensing of dry granular products, such as seasoning and spices for example. Typically such a package may comprise a glass jar or bottle having a plastic sifter fitment secured thereto and a glass plug-type stopper which snugly fits in'the fitment to close the package. In the interest of economy of material and ease of molding, these stoppers are normally hollow. A typical example of such package may be had by reference to United States Patent No. 3,070,251 to Mangravite. The stopper therein shown is formed with its lower end open. As a result, granular material contained in the package is free to flow through the apertures of the fitment into the hollow portion of the stopper unless separate means are provided to prevent such flow. Under one embodiment of the invention disclosed in that patent, a liner is provided with snaps over the lower open end of the stopper. Such separate liner obviously increases the cost of the overall package.

It is an object of .the present invention to provide a new and novel dispensing package.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a package having a hollow plug-type stopper for closing an apertured dispensing fitment which prevents the entry of granular material from the fitment into the hollow portion of the stopper without relying upon a separate element.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will become readily apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the annexed sheet of drawings on which:

FIGURE 1 is an exploded perspective view of the dispensing package of the present invention.

FIGURE 2 is an elevational view partly in section showing the relationship of the various components of .the dispensing package in assembled position.

FIGURE 3 is a top plan view of the sifter fitment portion of the dispensing package of the present invention.

FIGURE 4 is a view similar to FIGURE 2 illustrating another embodiment.

In brief, this invention comprises a container having a sifter fitment engaged therewith and having a hollow plug-type stopper adapted to be snugly received in the dispensing fitment so that the lower end face of the stopper firmly engages the perforated fitment panel, the perforations being so positioned and the stopper end face being so sized that said stopper end face will overlie and thus sealingly close said perforations to thereby prevent the flow of granular material to the interior of the hollow stopper.

Referring now to the drawings, there is provided a container generally designated having an annular neck portion 12 terminating at its upper end in a rim 14 having an annular outwardly facing bead 16.

Secured vto the container 10 is a fitment generally designated 20 having an annnular wall 22 adapted to be received within the neck 12 of the container. Extending radially inwardly from the lower end of the annular wall, i.e. that end projecting into the interior of the container 10, is a disc-like panel 24 havinga plurality of perforations 26 formed therein. For reasons which will become readily apparent from the following description, the perforations are positioned near the periphery of the panel 24 (see FIGURE 3).

Extending radially outwardly from the upper end of the wall 22 is a flange 28 the under surface of which seats against the rim 14 of the container. The flange 28 has a downwardly directed depending attaching skirt 30 which has an inwardly facing annular head 32 at the lower end thereof. The bead 32 of the fitment 20 snaps over the bead 16 of the container 10 to secure the fitment thereto.

In addition, there is provided an annular bead 34 extending inwardly from the inner face of the fitment annular wall 22 in spaced relationship with the upper surface of the panel 24.

The stopper 40 includes a core member 42 having an outer surface 43 sized to be snugly received within the fitment annular wall 22. The core member 42 includes an annular groove 44 adapted to receive the bead 34 of the fitment 20. Below the groove 44 is an annular head 45 which snaps under the bead 34 to assist in retaining the stopper 40 in the fitment 30. The core member 42 terminates at its lower end in an annular end face 46. The beads, the groove, and the end face, respectively, are so dimensioned with respect to one another that when the stopper 40.is positioned in the fitment 20 with the head 34 of the fitment engaging the annular groove 44 of the stopper, the annular end face 46 will firmly engage the upper surface of the fitment panel 24. The core member end face 46 is substantially flat and is sized relative to the perforations 26 of the fitment 20 to overlie and thus sealingly close such perforations to thereby prevent granular material from flowing through the perforations to the interior of the stopper 40. Additionally, the stopper is formed with an enlarged grasping portion 49 and, if

desired, may have radially enlarged shoulder 48 engaging the fitment flange 28. The enlarged shoulder 48 absorbs.

member 42 is formed with a flange 47 extending radially inwardly from the lower end thereof to provide an end face 46a adapted to cover a larger area of the fitment panel 24 than is possible in the previous embodiment. Under this embodiment then, the perforations 26 obviously may cover a large area of the panel. In order to form the inwardly directed flange 47 of the stopper 40 illustrated in the embodiment in FIGURE 4, the stopper 40 may be formed with an open top which, if desired, may subsequently be closed by a plug subsequently adhered thereto. If desired, the inwardly directed flange 47 may extend completely across the panel 24.

It should be'readily apparent from the foregoing description that the present invention provides a package utilizing an inexpensive hollow stopper but yet one which effectively prevents granular material from flowing to the interior thereof and creating a messy appearance. It is obvious that many changes and modifications may be made in this invention without departing from its spirit and scope which is to be limited only by the following claims.

I claim:

1. In combination: a container having an annular rim defining the periphery of an open mouth; a fitment aflixed to said container comprising an annular wall sized to be snugly received within said mouth, a transverse panel attached to the lower end of said annular wall, said panel having one or more perforations in the vicinity of said annular wall, an annular bead extending inwardly from said annular wall in spaced relationship to said transverse panel, a flange extending annular wall and overlying said container rim, and means for securing said fitment to said container; and a stopper aflixed to said fitment comprising a hollow core member snugly received in said fitment annular wall, said core member terminating at its lower end in an annular end face, a radially inwardly directed flange the lower surface of which forms an extension of said end face, said end face and said extension being seized to overlie said perforations, an outwardly facing annular groove in said core member adapted to be engaged by said fitment an nular bead to secure the stopper to the fitment with said end face firmly engaging said transverse panel to sealingly close said perforations, and an outwardly directed shoulder engaging said fitment flange to limit the downward movement of said stopper in said fitment.

2. In combination: .a container having an annular rim be received within said mouth, a transverse panel at-' tached to said annular wall below said annular rim, said panel having one or more perforations, a flange extending radially outwardly from said annular wall and overlying said container annular rim, an annular bead extending inwardly from said annular wall, and means for securing said fitment to said container; and a stopper afiixed to said fitment comprising a hollow core member snugly received in said fitment annular wall, said core member terminating at its lower end in an annnular end face sized to overlie said perforations, an outwardly facing annular groove in said core member engaging said fitment annular bead to secure the stopper to the fitment radially outwardly from said with said end face firmly engaging said transverse panel;

received within said mouth, a transverse panel attached to said annular wall 'below said annular rim, said panel 7 having one or more perforations, and means for securing said fitment to said container; and a stopper affixed to said fitment comprising a hollow core member snugly received in said fitment annular wall, said core member 1 terminating at its lower end in an annular end face, an integrally formed radially inwardly directed flange the, lower surface of which forms an extension of said end face, said end face and said extension being sized' to overlie said perforations, and means for securing the stopper to the fitment with said end face firmly engaging said transverse panel to sealingly close said perforations.

References Cited by the Examiner.

UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,070,251 12/1962 Mangrauite 21548 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,145,945 9/1957 France. 

1. IN COMBINATION: A CONTAINER HAVING AN ANNULAR RIM DEFINING THE PERIPHERY OF AN OPEN MOUTH; A FITMENT AFFIXED TO SAID CONTAINER COMPRISING AN ANNULAR WALL SIZED TO BE SNUGLY RECEIVED WITHIN SAID MOUTH, A TRANSVERSE PANEL ATTACHED TO THE LOWER END OF SAID ANNULAR WALL, SAID PANEL HAVING ONE OR MORE PERFORATIONS IN THE VICINITY OF SAID ANNULAR WALL, AN ANNULAR BEAD EXTENDING INWARDLY FROM SAID ANNULAR WALL IN SPACED RELATIONSHIP TO SAID TRANSVERSE PANEL, A FLANGE EXTENDING RADIALLY OUTWARDLY FROM SAID ANNULAR WALL AND OVERLYING SAID CONTAINER RIM, AND MEANS FOR SECURING SAID FITMENT TO SAID CONTAINER; AND A STOPPER AFFIXED TO SAID FITMENT COMPRISING A HOLLOW CORE MEMBER SNUGLY RECEIVED IN SAID FITMENT ANNULAR WALL, SAID CORE MEMBER TERMINATING AT ITS LOWER END IN AN ANNULAR END FACE, A RADIALLY INWARDLY DIRECTED FLANGE THE LOWER SURFACE OF WHICH FORMS AN EXTENSION OF SAID END FACE, SAID END FACE AND SAID EXTENSION BEING SEIZED TO OVERLIE SAID PERFORATIONS, AN OUTWARDLY FACING ANNULAR GROOVE IN SAID CORE MEMBER ADAPTED TO BE ENGAGED BY SAID FITMENT ANNULAR BEAD TO SECURE THE STOPPER TO THE FITMENT WITH SAID END FACE FIRMLY ENGAGING SAID TRANSVERSE PANEL TO SEALINGLY CLOSE SAID PERFORATIONS, AND AN OUTWARDLY DIRECTED SHOULDER ENGAGING SAID FITMENT FLANGE TO LIMIT THE DOWNWARD MOVEMENT OF SAID STOPPER IN SAID FITMENT. 